What happend to good old fashioned mace?

Recently, there has been an upsurge in public debate regarding the use of deadly force in self-defense.

Current Ohio law allows residents to use deadly force as a means of self-defense, providing the individual attempts to retreat prior to using their weapon, except when that individual is protecting their home, vehicle, or family's vehicle. This is known as the "castle doctrine." Now, NRA advocate groups have proposed legislation that eliminates the duty to retreat prior to using deadly force, thereby adopting a new policy in Ohio, already known by other states as "Stand your Ground." This will enable an individual to exercise deadly force if they are "in a place that the person has a right to lawfully be (HB 203)." The removal of Ohio's limited duty to retreat restriction would likely result in needless death.

On Oct. 29 Linda Walker, vice president of the Buckeye Firearms Association and member of the NRA board of directors, described a scenario to the House Committee where a mom in a grocery-store parking lot, after putting her baby in the car, turns around and has a gun put to her head. However, according to current Ohio law the woman would not have to retreat because she could prove that retreat was impossible. Advocates of the NRA exaggerate the need to adopt "Stand your Ground" to fix a problem with current Ohio law that does not exist.

The Ohio Coalition for Gun Control makes this statement, "American law has long acknowledged the right to defend oneself in the home, and outside the home if one feels threatened and cannot escape the situation. Shoot first laws dramatically distort this principle - allowing people to act as armed vigilantes and use deadly force in public, even if it can be avoided." As the House debates, it is important that Ohio residents contact their representatives to say no to "Stand Your Ground," a law that if passed will allow anyone the freedom to exercise deadly force when and where they feel threatened even if the situation could be avoided.

Samantha Peko

Mansfield

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What happend to good old fashioned mace?

Recently, there has been an upsurge in public debate regarding the use of deadly force in self-defense.